Public Health Committee holds local public health effectiveness hearing - 10/20/2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 17, 2006 CONTACT: Patrick Golden
617-722-2130
Chairman Peter Koutoujian and The Joint Committee on Public Health held a special oversight hearing on Oct. 17 to discuss the effectiveness of local health departments. While Massachusetts has more local health departments than any other state, some health experts invited to testify before the committee said other states are moving toward a more regionlized approach to local health.
It may be difficult for Massachusetts to follow suit because local charters require communities to have a local board of health. Other states have trended toward regional health boards because it can help lead to new funding sources, according to Patrick Libbey, exectuive director of the National Association of County and City Health Officials.
Many towns have volunteer health boards and struggle with inadequate funding and cannot provides the same services that communities with larger health departments can. Harold Cox, associate dean of the Boston University School of Public Health, called upon communities to begin working together to address their public health needs.
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